remarkable for the regularity of hisof by his moft intimate friends. They manners, and that he particularly in- confidered it as a very blameable oppodulged himself in fitting up very late fition to the decencies of life, and as over a bottle. The reproaches hence likely to be hurtful to his intereft; caft upon him gave occafion to his fince the abilities he was poffeffed of, next production, entitled "Night, and the figure he made in political an Epiltle to Robert Lloyd." The ob- contefts, would, perhaps, have recomject of this poem was to vindicate his mended him to fome noble patron, conduct, or rather to avow it in the from whom he might have received a face of the public. The " Night" valuable benefice. I remember well, was followed by the first book of "The that he dreffed his younger fon in a Ghoft," a work that took its rife from Scotch plaid, like a little Highlander, a ridiculous impoftere carried on in and carried him every where in that Cock-lane, near Weft-Smithfield, and garb. The boy being afked by a gento which some men of eminent abilities tleman with whom I was in company, and character paid too ferious an at- why he was cloathed in fuch a manner, tention. Neither of thefe perform- anfwered with great vivacity, "Sir, ances being fo popular as the Rofciad my father hates the Scotch, and does and the Apology, Mr. Churchill was it to plague them?" In other refpects defirous of producing fomething which Mr. Churchill's conduct was more than fhould more strongly excite the curiofity indifcreet. He plunged into various of the nation. In this he fucceeded, irregularities, and lived no longer with though we must ever lament the fubject his wife; though whether his quitting he fixed upon, and the turn of mind her was at this particular juncture we with which it is treated. Availing are not able to determine. himself of the difputes in politics, people, obferves a certain writer, have which were then carried on with pe- been unkind enough to fay that Mrs. culiar acrimony, and influenced by Churchill gave the first just cause of private friendship, he published his feparation. But nothing can be more Prophecy of Famine; a Scots Pa- falfe than this rumour; and we can ftoral." Of this piece Mr. Wilkes is affure the public, that her conduct in faid to have pronounced, before its private life, and among her acquaintappearance, that he was fure it would ance, was ever irreproachable." We take, as it was at once perfonal, poct- have our doubts concerning the truth ical, and political. His prediction was of what is here afferted, notwithstandaccomplished; for the poem had a very ing the pofitivity with which it is derapid and extenfive fale, and Churchill livered. It was always understood in was extolled by his admirers as fu- Weft minfter, that Mrs. Churchill's imperior to Pope. This was undoubtedly prudence kept too near a pace with carry ing his praife to an undue height that of her hufband. However, we do of exaggeration. It cannot, however, not hence mean in the leait to justify his be dented, that the author has difplayed diforderly and licentious manner of great force of abilities in the Prophecy living. of Famine; though the malignity which he has fhewn against Scotland and its inhabitants is totally inexcufeable. 46 Whilt the literary fame of Mr. Charchill food thus high with a large part, at leat, of the public, his perfonal conduct was very reprehentible. He laid afide all the external decorums of his profethion, divefted himfelf of his clerical habit, and appeared in the dress of a blue coat with metal buttons, a gold-laced waistcoat, a goldlaced hat, and ruffles. This part of his behaviour was wholly difapproved "Some Mr. Churchill being now embarked as a political fatirift, from which character he derived great fame and proit, next drew his pen against a man whose genius he admired; and with whom he and Mr. Wilkes had long been in the habits of friendship, the celebrated Hogarth. It must be acknowledged that Hogarth himself afforded the original caufe of offence. In a print, called the Times, he had attacked Lord Temple and Mr. Pitt, and foon after published a caricature of Mr. Wilkes. This, which was too much for Churchill to bear, bear, gave rife to the "Epiftle to William Hogarth," wherein that eminent painter, whilft juftice is done to his extraordinary talents, is treated with all the feverity of fatire. When Hogarth had formed the defign of holding out Lord Temple, Mr. Pitt, Mr. Churchill, and Mr. Wilkes to the public, as objects of ridicule, in a feries of prints, the laft gentleman, by two of their common acquaintance, remonftrated with him against fuch a proceeding, as what would not only be unfriendly in the highest degree, but extremely injudicious. It was urged to him, that fuch a pencil ought to be univerfal and moral, to fpeak to all ages, and to all nations, not to be dipped in the dirt of the faction of a day, of an infignificant part of the country, when it might command the admiration of the whole. It would have been well for Mr. Hogarth if he had liftened to this falutary advice, as by fo doing he would have faved himself from the most extreme mortification. Churchill's fatire ftruck him to the heart, and is thought to have contributed to the acceleration of his deceafe. Mr. Hogarth's revenge againft the poet terminated in vamping up an old print of a pug-dog and a bear, which he published under the title of The Bruifer C. Churchill (once the Reverend!) in the character of a Ruffian Hercules, &c." So feeble a blow at his antagonist was but a poor compenfation for the deep wound he had received. It must ever be lamented, that men of genius, who had been intimate friends, and might have continued fuch as long as they lived, should have their union diffcived, and difcord fown among them, by the demon of politics and party. The poems we have hitherto froken of employed Mr. Churchill in 1761, 1762, and part of 1763. During the fame time he continued to publih, at different intervals, "The Choft," the fourth and concluding book of which appeared in the last of the years now mentioned. The moft celebrated paffage in this work was the character of Pompofo, intended for Dr. Jehrfen, and which was much extolled by that gentleman's enemies. The Doctor had offended Churchill, by declaring that his poetry had but little merit. The only reply which Dr. Johnson made to our author's fatire was, that he thought him a fhallow fellow in the beginning, and that he could fay nothing worfe of him ftill. Highly as we reverence. this eminent writer's character and abilities, we must exprefs ourselves to be of a different opinion. However inferior Churchill might be, in many refpects, to Dr. Johnfon, he certainly did not deferve the appellation of a fhallow fellow. He was undoubtedly poffeffed of a found and vigorous underftanding, though it might not always be prudently and happily applied. The contemptuous terms in which men of real genius are apt to speak of each other we have too often had occafion to obferve and lament. With regard to the poem of "The Ghoft," it may in general be remarked, that, befides its being compofed in verfes of eight fyllables, it is written in a very defultory and digreffive manner. It is difficult to determine what plan and defign the author had in view, and, perhaps, he could fcarcely have explained the matter himfelf. The work, therefore, doth not, upon the whole, excite much of our approbation, though there are in it fome fhining and beautiful paffages. Even Lloyd, the great panegyrift of Churchill, hints at the flovenly nature of the compofition, in the following lines, which are, indeed, put into the mouth of the Cobler of Cripplegate": "The priest, I grant, has fomething clever, Nearly at the time when the last book of the Ghoft appeared, Mr. Churchill publifhed "The Conference," in which he returned to his ufual measure of verfe, the heroic, being the measure wherein he moft excelled; though he had lately begun to introduce into it too many profaic lines. The plan of the poem is fimilar to that of one of Pope's fatires. A dialogue is fuppofed to be carried on between the author and and a noble Lord, who is reprefented as giving him much good worldly advice, to which he anfwers with great fpirit, and in his replies indulges his fatiric vein with no fmall degree of freedom. One of the moft itriking paffages in the Conference is that in which he expreffes the deepest contrition for a recent action of his life, that was indeed highly to his dishonour. He had feduced and carried off the daughter of a tradefman in Westminfter. In a little more than a fortnight his paffion fubfided, and the young woman became very forry for her crime. Accordingly, a wife and judicious friend wrote for her a letter to her father, expreffive of her penitence, and of her defire to return home. Her father, with equal tendernefs and prudence, received her into his house; and fhe might have been fully restored to a virtuous conduct, had it not been for the severity of an elder fifter, who was > continually loading her with reproaches. Wearied with this ufage, the applied to Churchill, offering to return to him again; which he thought himfelf bound to admit, by the ideas he entertained of gratitude and honour. The true point of virtue would have been, to have provided, as amply as he could, for the young woman's fupport, and to have had no criminal connexion with her in future. Our author's next poem, if we miftake not, was "The Duellift," in three books, written in verfes of eight fyllables. The occafion of the work is well known, being Mr. Martin's challenge to Mr. Wilkes; and it is not furprising that Churchill's mufe fhould be awakened in the caufe of his friend. The Duellift has many poetical beauties. It is more concife than the Ghoft, more correct, more directly to the purpofe; though one principal object of it was to fatirize other perfons, befides Mr. Martin. Mr. Churchill's laft publication in. 1763 feems to have been "The Author," and it is one of the moft pleafing of his productions. The former part of it is not remarkably fatirical; but, towards the conclufion, the poet is extremely fevere against certain wri5 ters of the time, efpecially fome poli- 6 "It is Churchill's poetical career for 1764 Churchill's next production was "The Candidate," which took its title from the conteft that had been carried on between the Earl of Hardwicke and the Earl of Sandwich for the highftewardship of the Univerfity of Cambridge. The beginning of the poem is very fpirited; and the words "Come, PANEGYRIC," introduce one of the fevereft fatires which the pen of man ever wrote, against a nobleman who has, indeed, often been the fubject of fatire; perhaps fo much as to be indifferent and careless about the attacks that are made on his character. "The Candidate" was fucceeded by "The Farewell," wherein the poet is reprefented as having formed a defign to quit his native land, from which his friend endeavours to diffuade him. Though there is much good fenfe in this performance, and feveral excellent obfervations on philofophy, and the love of our country, it cannot be confidered as one of our author's chief works. It is deficient in poetical fire, and many of the lines are feeble and profaic. Partly from a confidence in the good opinion of his admirers, and partly from the neceffity of obtaining frequent pecuniary fupplies, Mr. Churchill now became too negligent and rapid in his publications. In his fucceeding production, entitled " The Times," he difplays his ufual vigour and fpirit. The characters of Faber and Apicius, whoever were intended by them, are drawn with equal ftrength and feverity. The fatire of the poem is principally directed against an unnatural vice, which is expofed with an energy and indignation that cannot poffibly be exceeded. The matter is, indeed, carried to the very height of extravagance; but this extravagance fhews, at the fame time, the wonderful powers of the author's mind, and his juft and boundless deteftation of the crime against which his poetry is levelled. Churchill's next publication was "Independence," a poem which does not, in every part of it, difplay the vigour of imagination that is apparent in fome of his performances; and it is, alfo, chargeable with the fault we have more than once had occafion to touch upon, the fault of carelefs verfification. It contains, however, feveral thining paffages; and a ftrong vein of good fenfe runs through the whole. Much is faid in it of poets and patrons; perhaps as much as the fubject will well bear. The author hath admirably reprefented the ftriking contraft between an effeminate lord and himfelf; and hath drawn his own picture with great humour. "Independence" was followed by "The Journey," a fhort poem, which reflects no difgrace on our author's abilities. The advice of his friends, and his anfwer to it, are well conducted. Towards the conclufion, he indulges himfelf in fatirizing feveral contemporary poets. Mr. Churchill's laft poetical production was the dedication of his Sermons to Bishop Warburton, which is written with his ufual feverity against that eminent prelate. Some parts of it are very fpirited, and efpecially thofe paffages which begin with, "Health to great Glofter." If the fame vigour is not maintained through the whole, it may be obferved, that, as the poem was left unfinished, in confequence of the author's decease, we cannot tell to what height the grave irony of the fatire might have been carried. With refpect to the Sermons, which are ten in number, two upon the nature of prayer in general, and eight upon our Lord's Prayer, there certainly could be no other reafon for publishing them than to obtain the benefit of a large fubfcription. The prefent biographer, that he might be able to form an exact judgement, hath, with exemplary patience, read them all; and he is obliged to pronounce concerning them, that they are written with an uniform mediocrity; and if he were to add dullness, he would not be far from the truth. There is no animation in the difcourfes; nor could a fingle paffage be felected from them, which difplays the fire of genius, or the force of imagination. The fentiments are practical, and not ufually to be found fault with; but there is not a thought that is new, or which indicates any peculiar ftrength of concep tion. The ftyle is perfpicuous, without the leaft pretentions to elegance. There > There is a dull formality in it, and we often meet with the words thereto, therefrom, berefrom, whereof, hereunto, and others of a like kind. The Sermons have all the air as if they had been compofed by fome plain clergyman in the beginning of the century. On the whole, we have no idea that Mr. Churchill could have been the author of them; for furely whatever came from his pen must have manifefted fome traces of the natural vigour and acutenefs of his mind. He probably found them in his father's closet. In the latter end of the year 1764 our poet went to France, to pay a vifit to his friend Mr. Wilkes, who was then in that kingdom. Mr. Humphrey Cotes was of the party. They met at Boulogn, where Mr. Churchill was feized with a miliary fever, which baffled the medical aid of two phyficians of kill and reputation by whom he was attended. Mr. Cotes, who was a great advocate for Dr. James's Powder, infifted upon applying it; to which the phyficians confented, but faid that the battle was loft. They obferved, at the fame time, that if the powder produced any favourable effect, it would operate as a cathartic, or by perfpiration; but that if it acted as an emetic (which was in fact the cafe) the patient would be immediately carried off. The event correfponded with their prediction, and Mr. Churchill departed this life on the 4th of November, at Boulogn, in the thirty-fourth year of his age. When the violence of the diforder threatened his diffolution, the phyficians, according to the law of France, were obliged to acquaint the church with his danger, that the priests might attend to perform their fpiritual functions, and especially, as being a proteftant, to ufe their endeavours for his converfion. Accordingly, they again and again demanded admiffion for this purpofe; but Mr. Wilkes, with that politenefs, address, and good fenfe which he is fo well known to poffefs, parried their attempts, and prevented them from troubling his dying friend. Mr. Davies, in his Life of Garrick, upon what he thinks good authority, hath related, that Churchill's last words LOND. MAG. July, 1784, were, What a fool have I been! Though he might, on feveral accounts, have had too much cause to make fuch a reflection, it is not true that it was made by him. This we have been affured of by Mr. Wilkes, whofe teftimony upon the fubject must be decifive; and the fame gentleman hath informed the world, that the goodness of Churchill's heart and the firmness of his philofophy were in full luftre during the whole time of his very fevere illness; and that the amazing faculties of his mind were not in the leaft impaired till a few moments before his death. The deceafe of a man of fo much celebrity, and of fuch popularity with a large part of the nation, could not be received with indifference; efpecially confidering the early period of his life, and the fhort courfe of fame which he had run. He was greatly lamented by his acquaintance and admirers; but no one was fo deeply affected with his death as Robert Lloyd. The news of the melancholy event being announced to him fomewhat abruptly, while he was fitting at dinner, he was seized with a fudden ficknefs, and faying "I fhall follow poor Charles," took to his bed, from which he never rofe again. Befides Churchill's great perfonal friendfhip for Lloyd, he had been remarkably generous to him during his confinement in the Fleet, having all that time allowed him a regular ftipend. Such was, at first, the enthufiafm in favour of Mr. Churchill's memory, that there was a talk of erecting a monument to him in Westminster-Abbey ; but the idea foon fubfided, and will fcarcely ever be revived. The following infeription, in the close style of the ancients, and engraven on a fepulchral urn of alabafter, was drawn up by Mr. Wilkes, and intended by him to give the true character of our author, as a friend, a poet, and a patriot. "CAROLO CHURCHILL, Poetæ acri, P. |